According to a new research, Stanford University’s Calming Technology Lab has found that cyclists are 40 per cent less likely to be stressed during and after their commutes compared to those who drove or took public transport.
They looked at data after evaluating the breathing patterns of 1,000 commuters across 20,000 commutes using wearable monitors that track heart rate and the amount and depth of breaths a person takes.
They found people who used motorised transport displayed shallower breathing in the half hour after their journey than cyclists, who were found to be 40% less stressed overall after their commute. It was found that those who cycled arrived to work in a calmer and more relaxed state of mind.
The head of Stanford University’s Calming Technology Lab, Neema Moraveji, said, “People normally think of stress as something that happens at work, and certainly it does, but commutes are interesting because it’s a place where you’re kind of in charge of your environment — you’re usually on your own, in control, and you can set the tone of your day. We wanted to see what kind of state people put themselves in.”
Moraveji said that it wasn’t just after the morning commute where people felt stressed. Levels were also high in the early evening, but again walking or cycling appeared to help.
“It’s particularly interesting to see that many people don’t transition back into the home after a long day of work very well. By biking to work we know that the physical nature of cycling and physical exertion will engender a more calm and focused state of mind. So while being good for us physically, we also see lots of psychological and emotional benefits.”
This research echoes the findings of another study that was completed in the UK last year by the Universtity of East Anglia.
